QuoteSoon after Charla McComic’s son lost his job, his health-insurance premium dropped from $567 per month to just $88, a “blessing from God” that she believes was made possible by President Trump.

“I think it was just because of the tax credit,” said McComic, 52, a former first-grade teacher who traveled to Trump’s Wednesday night rally in Nashville from Lexington, Tenn., with her daughter, mother, aunt and cousin.

The price change was actually thanks to a subsidy made possible by former president Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which is still in place, not by the tax credits proposed by Republicans as part of the health-care bill still being considered by Congress.

...McComic said she’s not worried about her disability benefits changing or her 3-year-old granddaughter getting kicked off Medicaid or her 33-year-old son’s premiums going up.

“So far, everything’s been positive, from what I can tell,” she said, waiting for Trump’s rally here to begin Wednesday night. “I just hope that more and more people and children get covered under this new health-care plan.”

QuoteAfter meetings with the Trump administration last month, leaders of historically black colleges and universities expressed cautious optimism that the increased funding they requested might actually make it into the White House budget.

It did not.

Instead, Trump’s first presidential budget released Thursday calls for “maintaining” $492 million in appropriations for HBCUs and minority-serving institutions.

Combined discretionary spending for those schools, however, is actually $577 million right now.

...and rather than expanding Pell grants for low-income students, the proposal raids $4 billion from the program’s reserves.

These particular folks were just body props for a presidential photo op:

You would think someone that has gotten enuf education to teach school would not be on the 45 wagon and thinking it is NOW reducing her healthcare. I have lost my spirit and hope. I want to give people an OK but the thinking that is going on out there in never neverland is too much for me.

Well, perhaps they were damaging in the immediate aftermath, but given the short memory span of a big chunk of the electorate the shutdowns did not impact elections much. And the Federal level shutdowns had even less impact at the state election level where the GOP long game has been being played out over the last decade plus.

QuoteSoon after Charla McComic’s son lost his job, his health-insurance premium dropped from $567 per month to just $88, a “blessing from God” that she believes was made possible by President Trump.

“I think it was just because of the tax credit,” said McComic, 52, a former first-grade teacher who traveled to Trump’s Wednesday night rally in Nashville from Lexington, Tenn., with her daughter, mother, aunt and cousin.

The price change was actually thanks to a subsidy made possible by former president Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which is still in place, not by the tax credits proposed by Republicans as part of the health-care bill still being considered by Congress.

...McComic said she’s not worried about her disability benefits changing or her 3-year-old granddaughter getting kicked off Medicaid or her 33-year-old son’s premiums going up.

“So far, everything’s been positive, from what I can tell,” she said, waiting for Trump’s rally here to begin Wednesday night. “I just hope that more and more people and children get covered under this new health-care plan.”

These poor saps are in for a hell of a surprise.

I'm sorry - does that make me a "smug liberal"?

Yeah, I feel like that is smug, actually. "If all these poor saps would just let smart people like me make all the decisions, they would be better off." Can you think of a different way to phrase your thoughts that isn't smug? It would be better for you, me, and everyone else if you could. And, fwiw, it would be a smarter thing to do. kj.

QuoteSoon after Charla McComic’s son lost his job, his health-insurance premium dropped from $567 per month to just $88, a “blessing from God” that she believes was made possible by President Trump.

“I think it was just because of the tax credit,” said McComic, 52, a former first-grade teacher who traveled to Trump’s Wednesday night rally in Nashville from Lexington, Tenn., with her daughter, mother, aunt and cousin.

The price change was actually thanks to a subsidy made possible by former president Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which is still in place, not by the tax credits proposed by Republicans as part of the health-care bill still being considered by Congress.

...McComic said she’s not worried about her disability benefits changing or her 3-year-old granddaughter getting kicked off Medicaid or her 33-year-old son’s premiums going up.

“So far, everything’s been positive, from what I can tell,” she said, waiting for Trump’s rally here to begin Wednesday night. “I just hope that more and more people and children get covered under this new health-care plan.”

These poor saps are in for a hell of a surprise.

I'm sorry - does that make me a "smug liberal"?

Yeah, I feel like that is smug, actually. "If all these poor saps would just let smart people like me make all the decisions, they would be better off." Can you think of a different way to phrase your thoughts that isn't smug? It would be better for you, me, and everyone else if you could. And, fwiw, it would be a smarter thing to do. kj.

Channeling Pres. Trump?

Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.